Negative coping skills can be disguised as tendancies influenced by culture, beliefs, or learned behavior. In that case they can be hard to identify because those skills are then percieved as normal and healthy. Unfortunately family or peer supports may not always encourage changed behaviour because they’ve been using them all of their life.
Some negative coping skills can start off as behaviors that doesn’t seem to bring about harm; because of that, you find yourself excessively using these behaviors for temporary relief. Use and abuse.
Other negative coping skills are purely unhealthy no matter how you frame it or how frequent the use. Wrong use, no excuse.
Negative coping skills all together can be difficult to identify.
Coping skills sound cliche so going forward I will be using the words coping mechanisms.
It has a ring to it doesn’t it?
Unhealthy coping mechanisms are “quick fixes” that can damage your physical, mental, emotional, and/or spiritual state in the long run.
It is so easy to transition from one unhealthy coping skill to another. Sometimes learning and utilizing healthy coping mechanism can allow you to feel the pain and hurt and face the difficult truth. Though that process can seem grueling, your future will embrace you with open arms because you will be a better you.
Healthiness equals happiness!
The first step to breaking the cycle is to identify triggers. Situations, traumas, relationships (and so on) can trigger your need to use quick fixes to help you escape in the moment.
Understand the mechanisms that are unhealthy that you are utilizing to free you temporarily.
Substitute.
Substitute. When you are triggered instead of leaning to what you would normally do push yourself to try something new. Key word push. Your mind and body may fight you in the process. It may kick and scream because of the new mechanisms put into place but your will power must be stronger. It can be stronger. It will be stronger. Negative thinking may bombard you discouraging you but speak back to it, out load. Repeat I can, I will, I must. Positive affirmations can work, reciting scriptures can work.
Repeat I can, I will, I must!
You do not have to go through the journey alone. If you are unable to reach out to a family or peer support, seek professional guidance. Do not be ashamed. Your future is counting on you.
Remain beautiful. Remain unique. Remain phenomenal!
CHOSEN. 